Tuesday, 1 September 2015

Travel // L.A + Coachella

As I sit here, wrapped up in a chunky wool jumper, listening to the rain pelt against the window, I feel like I need a bit of sunshine in my life. Summer has well and truly stuck its middle-finger up at us Brits and gone into early hibernation once again, and I’m just not feeling these Autumn vibes at the moment. So, to conclude my trip down memory lane and to cheer myself up a little, here’s the final part of my travel diary from last year’s Californian road trip…

After a speedy zig-zag up and down the coast from San Fran to Santa Ana, my penultimate day saw us return to LA. The boys had a live session in Beverley Hills, so the morning was spent mouths a-gawping at its ritzy sidewalks and trying to spot Larry David. The afternoon we were dropped off at the corner of the Hollywood Bowl so we could indulge in a bit of kitschy tourist-ing in the heart of Hollywood. Obviously the first thing I did was squeal at the sight of every star along the along the boulevard’s pavement as if I was seeing the actual person IRL, climb the steps of the mall to get a good old view of the Hollywood sign in the hills, and buy a really tacky clapperboard keepsake which now proudly resides in the middle of my kitchen. I also gave into James’ appeal for my to buy a large coke from Mcds to prove a point that it was bigger than my face. It was and it hurt my belly.

I don’t know if we just got lucky the day that we visited but despite all the exciting offerings of shows and the Michael Jackson lookalikes interrupting my stomp-pace with their moonwalking, the place felt so nice & chilled. Compared to London anyway, where just five minutes in the hustle and bustle of Trafagular Square is enough to make you want to hurriedly retreat into Countryside dwellings for the rest of your life. At nighttime, we headed to a BBQ in the sweetest little house perched on the hills to eat good food and drink some beers. All in all, you get 10 Lauren points, LA.

We went to sleep in the bus that evening and woke up at Coachella, which was incredible and so so so different to British festivals. All beautiful sunsets, palm trees everywhere, NO MUD! The heat and humidity was almost unbearable in the day, my pasty skin was hating it that I’m not sure I would have had such a good experience if we didn’t have the luxury of Temples’ air-con’d dressing room to retreat to in the middle of the day, but I did have a blast.

I had one super weird pinch-myself moment when I found myself stood chatting with the two loves of my life (James & Julian Casablancas). In addition to his solo material which I absolutely adore, he played Take it or Leave it, and it was the BEST.

I managed to catch the end of Warpaint’s set, MGMT, Queens of the Stone Age and then saved myself for some Nas to close the night, which was so freaking good. When it got to around 7pm when the sun was just starting to set, it had cooled down a bit the sky just looked magical. America, you sure do know how to throw a Festival.